Live Iron-60 in the Early Solar System

Isotopic analyses of nickel in samples from the differentiated meteorite Chervony Kut revealed the presence of relative excesses of $^{60}$Ni ranging from 2.4 up to 50 parts per 10$^4$. These isotopic excesses are from the decay of the now extinct short-lived nuclide $^{60}$Fe and provide clear evid...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1993-02, Vol.259 (5098), p.1138-1142
Main Authors: Shukolyukov, A., Lugmair, G. W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Astronomy
Average linear density
Chemical elements
Earth, ocean, space
Evidence
Exact sciences and technology
General, solar nebula, and cosmogony
Half lives
Individualized Instruction
Iron
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Melting
Meteorites
Meteors & meteorites
Minerals
Origin
Planetesimals
Radionuclides
Ratios
Research Article
Solar system
Solar systems
Solidification
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Summary:Isotopic analyses of nickel in samples from the differentiated meteorite Chervony Kut revealed the presence of relative excesses of $^{60}$Ni ranging from 2.4 up to 50 parts per 10$^4$. These isotopic excesses are from the decay of the now extinct short-lived nuclide $^{60}$Fe and provide clear evidence for the existence of $^{60}$Fe over large scales in the early solar system. Not only was $^{60}$Fe present at the time of melting and differentiation (that is, Fe-Ni fractionation) of the parent body of Chervony Kut but also later at the time when basaltic magma solidified at or near the surface of the planetesimal. The inferred abundance of $^{60}$Fe suggests that its decay alone could have provided sufficient heat to melt small (diameters of several hundred kilometers) planetary bodies shortly after their accretion.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.259.5098.1138